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Listening Comprehension
The actual process of oral communication consists of two integral parts: listening and speaking.
People develop not only listening comprehension skills in English by watching English movies
(films) and other programmes on video, on TV or on the Internet, or by listening to BBC English,
the Voice of America and other programmes, and to audio/video recordings for learning English.
People also listen to and learn different accents and peculiarities of English usage in real life
settings in different English speaking countries by native English speakers in terms of
pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary and style (formal and informal English). Informal English
includes colloquial, slang and dialectal usage. Regular long-term listening to various authentic
English audio and video materials helps a learner produce his or her own sentences more
quickly and with better wording when speaking than without adequate practice in listening
comprehension in English.

Listening practice in English is also very important because foreign learners of English living
and learning English in non-English speaking countries have limited opportunities for habitual
long-term spoken communication with native English speakers on a varying degree topics and
issues using comprehensive content and extensive vocabulary.

In addition, both listening and speaking content of various topics and extensive vocabulary can
be covered in practising listening comprehension in English (for example in listening to
dialogues, discussions, debates, interviews, narrations, etc.). It is a great idea to practise
speaking and discussions of issues in English after listening to texts and programmes in
English.

Speaking in English requires a learner to combine his or her pronunciation, grammar,

vocabulary knowledge, thinking over word and phrase choices (and good listening
comprehension skills when conversing) to say good sentences as to their content. Even native
speakers of English may experience some difficulty expressing their thoughts accurately,
precisely and most appropriately in particular contexts.

Skillful impressive speaking using the most appropriate vocabulary is an art that many people
(including native speakers) lack. Therefore speaking in English is quite challenging and more
difficult for foreign learners than listening comprehension in English. Foreign learners of English
generally have more opportunities for practising listening comprehension in English than for
speaking in English.

When a learner listens to English, he or she does not have to create (to construct) in mind and
to say own sentences in English like in speaking, but has to understand the content of
sentences said by English speakers. The points mentioned above may explain why for most
learners it is easier to practise and to develop better skills in listening comprehension than in
speaking English.

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